Sacred Stitch One ~ Who We Are

We are LAGA CALIFORNIA CIRCLE, committed to preserving and promoting indigenous Kalinga weaving here in the USA and to supporting it in our homeland. Our circle is dedicated to learn and share laga, the ancient art of backstrap weaving of the indigenous Kalinga tribal people of the Philippines.  

Map of the Philippines.

Step by step, thread by thread, little by little, we are learning to weave belts and skirts following the tradition of the ancient weavers in the village of Mabilong, in the town of Lubuagan, in the province of  Kalinga. The Kalinga people are one of the indigenous tribes in the northern part of the country who  resisted colonization for hundreds of years. We unite in our desire to assist the Mabilong weavers in preserving their heritage and educating the local community here in the USA about this cultural and traditional art form.

Two generations of weavers, Sillamay and Challeg, at communal weaving space in Mabilong, Lubuagan, Kalinga.

Our History:

2012: One Kalinga backstrap weaver and one community arts educator join together to preserve laga. Their goal, to increase awareness of and to preserve the tradition in the San Francisco Bay Area community, thus laga weaving practice began in the home of our Master Weaver Jenny Bawer Young, an indigenous-born Kalinga.

2013: With five other women they united in a weaving circle named Laga CA Circle with a shared desire to connect thread by thread to this culture and tradition. 

2014: We now have nine women in Laga CA Circle! We launched our Kalingafornia Young Weaver's Program to preserve and promote this tradition among children and youth in our families and communities. They are learning traditional weaving skills, language, and culture. They gathered in a Kalinga Culture Camp in July 2014 and continue to meet regularly to weave and share meals together.

Jacoby (far right), Jenny Bawer Young’s daughter, with other young laga weavers completing their first lesson, rolling their pitipit (balls of thread).

Young weavers helping each other learn to set-up the gelay (warp).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikw8gnv96WA

Learn More About Our Laga California Weaving Circle

Read about our Weavers' Blogs and Experiences

Sacred Stitch Two ~ How You Can Help

We’re raising $5,000 dollars to supplement our “Living Cultures 2014 Grant” from Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA) which enables Jenny to teach laga to children and youth through the end of 2014. Your contribution to this unique Indiegogo campaign will ensure we can continue this work through the end of 2015 and defray extra costs not covered by our ACTA grant. 

Your valuable support will:

1. Provide weaving lessons to youth and adult apprentice weavers.

2. Enable Laga CA Circle members to provide weaving demonstrations in the community.

3. Expand our outreach capacity and educational materials.

4. Enable us to acquire additional looms (including creating child user-friendly looms), weaving materials and other needed supplies.

Sama-Sama Summer Language Immersion Camp in Berkeley learning weaving from Laga CA Circle members, Holly Calica and Rachel Lozada.

Sacred Stitch Three ~ Making a Difference!

Our goals?

We need funding to continue this work. In 2013-14 we demonstrated the art of laga at major festivals and community gatherings in San Mateo, San Francisco, and Sonoma Counties, provided workshops at community centers and engaged the public in discussions on maintaining indigenous culture, knowledge, skills and practices. From intimate hands-on workshops of a few dozen, to demonstrations amongst hundreds of community members, people are able to learn more about the laga tradition of Mabilong and the indigenous culture of the Kalinga people.

Children eagerly waiting their turn on the laga during a Filipino-American History Month event at the Asian Art Museum in SF.

Holly Calica (left), Laga CA Circle member, with Judith Teves at a weaving demo at Pista sa Nayon in Fulton, CA.

Help us promote and sustain this rich Kalinga heritage in the communities of the San Francisco Bay Area!

Sacred Stitch Four ~ More Ways to Help Us

Cultural Workers. Culture Bearers. Keepers of Traditions. Community Supporters. We are all in this together. We are one community, moving traditions of our past forward into the future. Preserving, protecting and sustaining cultural continuity for our children and our children’s children. Join us!  Istay chiyoy! (Thank you in Kalinga language).

Kalingafornia manlalaga (weaver) learning from Master Weaver, Jenny Bawer Young.

You can help us by sharing our fundraising efforts on your social networks ~ by email, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Let's be friends and stay connected!

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Visit our website: http://www.kalingafornia-laga.com/

Links:

Learn More About Our Laga, California Weaving Circle

ACTA Funded Master/Apprenticeship Program

Weaving in the Mabilong Community of Lubuagan

Read about our Weavers' Blogs and Experiences

Like us on Facebook